Mobile Miscellany: week of February 13th, 2012

Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This week, we bring you announcements of LTE expansion from AT&T, US Cellular and Verizon, along with news of three Samsung smartphones that received WiFi certification -- each are thought to be high-end devices and bound for US carriers. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride. Let's explore the "best of the rest" for this week of February 13th, 2012.

HTC Radar coming to Wind Mobile on February 22nd

Wind Mobile has announced the HTC Radar will arrive as the AWS network's solitary Windows Phone handset on February 22nd. It'll be available for $99 with a three-year WindTab+ term, or can be purchased for $399 outright. [Mobile Syrup]

AT&T acquires 700MHz spectrum licenses within New Jersey and Pennsylvania

AT&T picked up additional 700MHz spectrum this week within New Jersey and Pennsylvania, which will bolster its LTE rollout in both states. The FCC issued two orders that approve the transfers. AT&T will acquire Block B within Ocean County of the Garden State, and will also gobble up Block C across six counties of the Keystone State. The Rural Cellular Association (RCA) objected to both proposals, although the FCC ultimately ruled the transfers harmless. [Phone Scoop]

Nokia Lumia 800 rumored to arrive at Telus on March 9th

We've known for some time now that Telus would be Canada's exclusive provider of the Lumia 800, but word of its debut has remained somewhat of a mystery. Here's a bit of good news: employees are now receiving training for the device, and various launch parties suggest the arrival is nigh. Word on the street points to Friday, March 9th, but you might want to circle that date with a pencil -- just to be safe. [Mobile Syrup]

US Cellular heralds new cities for LTE rollout

US Cellular has announced another group of cities to gain LTE connectivity this year, and the carrier now estimates that 54 percent of its customers will have access to 4G service by the end of 2012. The areas include Rockford and Peoria, IL; Columbia and Jefferson City, MO; Manchester, NH; Wilmington and Jacksonville, NC; Tulsa, OK; Medford, OR; Knoxville, TN; Roanoke and Lynchburg, VA; Yakima and the Tri-Cities, WA; Morgantown, WV and LaCrosse and Beloit, WI. [US Cellular]

Verizon expands LTE coverage within four states

On February 16th, Verizon Wireless announced the arrival of LTE to Clarksville and Cookeville, TN; Little Rock, AR; Rapid City, SD and San Antonio, TX. For those who like to keep track, Big Red's LTE tally now stands at 196 cities. [CNET]

AT&T adds two new LTE markets in Florida, expands coverage in North Carolina

Yep, there's a hefty dose of LTE expansion this week, and the report wouldn't be complete without a mention for AT&T, which has added two new metropolitan areas within Florida -- Tampa-St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Bradenton -- to its 4G coverage map. The carrier has also expanded its LTE reach in the Raleigh, North Carolina region, which now includes parts of Chapel Hill and Durham. [TechnoBuffalo]

Rumored Nokia Lumia 610 certified in Indonesia

A new device thought to be the Nokia Lumia 610 received certification in Indonesia this week, which lists 1800MHz and 900MHz support for GSM, along with WCDMA (3G) connectivity over 2100MHz. Rumors suggest it's an entry-level device that'll include Windows Phone Tango. [Unwired View, LiveSide]

Three Samsung smartphones gain dual-band WiFi certification

We've busted out our tea leaves because three Samsung smartphones -- the SGH-T999, SGH-I535 and SPH-L710 -- received official WiFi credentials this week, and based on their model numbers, they're thought to be high-end creations. In addition to support for 802.11a/b/g/n, each will offer dual-band 5.0GHz / 2.4GHz connectivity. The SGH-T999 was previously outed with a 720p display, and its designation suggests that it could be the Galaxy S Blaze 4G for T-Mobile. (For note, the SGH-T989 is the Magenta-branded Galaxy S II.) While the source information is weak, the SGH-I535 is said to be an LTE handset for Verizon that packs Android 4.0. Meanwhile, the SPH-L710 may be headed to Sprint, which is surmised based on the SPH-D710 designation of the Epic 4G Touch. You can check out each of the certifications in the gallery below. [Ubergizmo, Blog of Mobile (translated)]%Gallery-147975%

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